Corona, Queens Leads City in DWI Arrests

Corona, Queens wasn’t named after the popular brand of Mexican beer, but perhaps it should have been.

So far this year, NYPD statistics show that police precincts spanning the central Queens neighborhood recorded the highest number of DWI arrests in the city, according to the New York Post.

Since 2001, DWI arrests have risen by more than 90% across the five boroughs, but so far this year, they’re down 8% from 2009. A notable exception: the 115th Precinct, which spans the neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. Police there have made 257 DWI arrests so far this year, the same number as last year, the Post reported. The 110th Precinct, which also includes parts of Corona, posted the second highest number of DWI arrests with 167.

A major reason for all the arrests: Roosevelt Avenue, which runs through the heart of Corona, is often congested and boasts a high number of bars and restaurants along the strip. In parts of the neighborhood, yellow cabs and public transit can be hard to come by and an strengthened police presence to help reduce crime means that inebriated drivers in the area may be more likely to get caught.

In Manhattan, the 6th Precinct in the West Village also recorded a high number of DWI arrests, with 149. The 7th Precinct in the Lower East Side and the 9th Precinct in the East Village recorded some of the lowest number of drunk-driving arrests in the city with 54 and 53 respectively. But those numbers have nearly doubled in the last year as police have set up more checkpoints in the area, the Post said.